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A history: Monuments to Courage, a History of Beaver County

mcbooki319p237: Chapter Seventeen, Milford -- Its Early History (cont.), Early-Day Families in Milford

the Beaver river to reach the mill. One ford was at Horseshoe Bend, two miles south of town near the present Bill Baker ranch, and the other was east of Yellow Banks, about two miles north of town. Freighters, traveling laboriously with their heavy wagonloads of ore drawn by oxen or mules, day after day in dust to the hubs, through scorching desert heat, in rain or snow, often chilled to the bone by the icy winds, forded the river to reach the mill. "The mill ford" gradually was shortened to "Milford" and when the settlement became a community, it was known as Milford. The first settler in Milford was Arvin Stoddard, of the Stoddard family at Minersville. He took up 160 acres of land in 1880, built the first house in Milford, and planted the first trees. These trees still stand just north of the John A. Root home, on the street which bears his name, in a part of town known as the Stoddard Townsite. After Arvin Stoddard had established a home for himself, he parceled out the remainder of his land and sold it in lots to other settlers. In 1880, John D. Williams came to Milford. `He was an experienced smelter man from Wales. When he first came to Milford he took up a section of land adjoining the Stoddard section on the north. The street running east and west just north of the Milford Hospital was the dividing line between the two sections. On this ground he built a smelter. It stood below the present Milford High School. However, it proved very expensive to operate the mill. Water had to be pumped by hand for its operation, and it was finally abandoned. EARLY DAY FAMILIES IN MILFORD The earliest families of Milford, the "charter group," were as follows RYAN Dennis, a former owner. in the Horn Silver mine, and John, a cattleman. SMITHSON Dan, Charlie and John, farmers.

the Beaver river to reach the mill. One ford was at Horseshoe Bend, two miles south of town near the present Bill Baker ranch, and the other was east of Yellow Banks, about two miles north of town. Freighters, traveling laboriously with their heavy wagonloads of ore drawn by oxen or mules, day after day in dust to the hubs, through scorching desert heat, in rain or snow, often chilled to the bone by the icy winds, forded the river to reach the mill. "The mill ford" gradually was shortened to "Milford" and when the settlement became a community, it was known as Milford. The first settler in Milford was Arvin Stoddard, of the Stoddard family at Minersville. He took up 160 acres of land in 1880, built the first house in Milford, and planted the first trees. These trees still stand just north of the John A. Root home, on the street which bears his name, in a part of town known as the Stoddard Townsite. After Arvin Stoddard had established a home for himself, he parceled out the remainder of his land and sold it in lots to other settlers. In 1880, John D. Williams came to Milford. `He was an experienced smelter man from Wales. When he first came to Milford he took up a section of land adjoining the Stoddard section on the north. The street running east and west just north of the Milford Hospital was the dividing line between the two sections. On this ground he built a smelter. It stood below the present Milford High School. However, it proved very expensive to operate the mill. Water had to be pumped by hand for its operation, and it was finally abandoned. EARLY DAY FAMILIES IN MILFORD The earliest families of Milford, the "charter group," were as follows RYAN Dennis, a former owner. in the Horn Silver mine, and John, a cattleman. SMITHSON Dan, Charlie and John, farmers.